Heddle frame



B. R. KOCH HEDDLE FRAME March. 4, 1969 Filed May 10, 1967 United StatesPatent 3,430,313 HEDDLE FRAME Bernhard Robert Koch, Horgenberg,Switzerland, assignor t0 Grob & Co. Aktiengesellschaft, Horgen,Switzerland Filed May 10, 1967, Ser. No. 637,377 US. C]. 2846 Int. Cl.D03j 1/14; D03c 9/06 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A heddle frameconsists of at least one upper and one lower frame stave, which arejoined together at their ends by lateral supports. Two heddle carryingrods run along the insides of the frame parallel with the staves at afixed distance from each other. In accordance with the nature and numberof the warp threads and the characteristics of the fabric which is to bewoven, an appropriate number of heddles of the correct thickness must bepushed onto the heddle carrying rods of the heddle frame.

The end loops of the heddles used in dobby weaving are generallythreaded on to steel bands or cords when the heddles are supplied; theheddles are also usually stored on these rails or cords. Twin wireheddles are generally arranged on cords, while fiat steel heddles arenormally placed on thin steel bands, these bands being used as thedispatch rails. The dimensions of the steel bands are chosen in such away that they can be pushed through the end loops of the flat steelheddles at the same time as the heddle carrying rods of the heddleframe. When the heddles have to be pushed onto the heddle carrying rodsof the heddle frame, or removed from these carrying rods again, theheddle carrying rods and the dispatch bands are caused to overlapslightly at one end. With a certain amount of skill it is then possibleto push the heddles from the dispatch bands on the heddle carrying rodsor vice versa, but of course the dispatch bands must be so thin that theend loops of the fiat steel heddles can pass over the overlappingportions of the heddle carrying rods and the dispatch bands. Thisarrangement obviously makes excessive demands on time. Furthermore,accidents often occur and the heddles fall off the rods, as a result ofwhich even more time must be spent arranging the loose heddle on therods.

An automatic drawingin machine is also known which extracts the heddlesone by one from a magazine and after inserting the warp thread into theheddle eye, pushes the heddles on to the heddle carrying rodscorresponding to a particular heddle frame which are connected to theautomatic machine. A machine of this kind is, however, relativelyexpensive. No practical aids are known for removal of the heddles fromthe heddle carrying rods of the heddle frames. The dispatch strips areusually stored to again be used as supports for the heddles. For thereason mentioned earlier, the dispatch strips are generally made of thinstrip steel and are therefore not very strong. Consequently they are notreally suitable for transporting heddles which have been removed fromtheir containers. The lack of strength of these strips also makes itdifficult to clean and check the heddles, and also to carry out otherrelated work. Thicker dispatch strips are not often used because theycannot be introduced into the end loops of the heddles simultaneouslywith the heddle carrying rods.

3,430,313 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 The invention relates to a device forthe transfer of heddles from an auxiliary rod to the heddle carrying rodof the heddle framev and vice versa, the purpose of the device being tosimplify this operation to a significant extent.

According to this invention a device for transferring heddles from anauxiliary rod to the heddle carrying rod of a heddle frame comprises acoupling piece having a wall of resilient material, two parallel edgesof which are partially bent substantially at right angles in order tosurround the narrow edges of the heddle carrying rod and the auxiliaryrod which adjoins the latter at the end; the wall having projectionswhich engage in recesses in the two rods.

A practical embodiment of the device in accordance with the inventionwill now be described in greater detail by way of example only, withreference to heddles having laterally open C shaped end loops of thetype normally used for sliderless harnesses.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded side view of the coupling piece with one end ofa heddle carrying rod and one end of an auxiliary rod,

FIGURE 2 is an exploded plan view of the coupling piece and rod endsshown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the rod ends joined by the coupling piece,

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line IVIV in FIG- URE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view corresponding to FIGURE 3 but showing a variantof the coupling.

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 show the end of the heddle carrying rod 1, theauxiliary rod 2 and between them the coupling piece 3. The couplingpiece 3 consists of a U-shaped spring plate 4 and a guide plate 5 whichis joined to spring plate 4 and is in spaced parallel relation to thelatter, The connection is established by means of a web plate 10,preferably of rectangular shape, which is secured at 12 to the innerface of the spring plate 4. The two horizontal longitudinal edges of thespring plate 4 are bent approximately at right angles and form an upperflanges 14 and a lower flange 15 (FIGURES 1 and 2). The tapering ends ofthe plate 4 have their short transverse edges bent down and formprojections 6 and 7. Close to their ends, the heddle carrying rod 1 andthe auxiliary rod 2 each have a rectangular aperture 8 and 9,respectively. In addition, the end of the auxiliary rod 2 has afork-shaped recess 11. One heddle 13 is shown arranged with its upperend loop on the auxiliary rod 2 (FIGURES 1 and 2).

FIGURE 3 shows how the ends of the heddle carrying rod 1 and theauxiliary rod 2 are pushed into the coupling piece 3. In the coupledconditon, the spring plate 4 together with its two flanges 14 and 15covers one flat side and the two longitudinal edges of the heddlecarrying rod 1 of the auxiliary rod 2, The guide plate 5 engages theopposite fiat side of the rods 1 and 2 in such a way that they areguided on all sides and can be held in the requisite position inrelation to the coupling. The transverse projections 6 and 7 engage inthe apertures 8 and 9 in the heddle carrying rod 1 or auxiliary rod 2and do not only hold the rods together which are pushed into thecoupling 3, but also serve as runner-up tongues for the heddles. Whenthe two rods are forcefully pulled apart or the auxiliary rod 2 ispulled away, the projections 6 and 7 spring out from the apertures 8 or9, thus breaking the connection to coupling piece 3. The forkshaped endof the auxiliary rail 2 is pushed over the web plate 10, so that thelatter enters the recess 11 and ensures that the auxiliary rail 2 isproperly guided and aligned with the heddle carrying rod 1.

FIGURE 4 shows that the flanges 14 and 15 of the U-shaped spring plate 4project slightly beyond the opposite fiat side of the rods 1 (FIGURE 3)and 2. When the heddle or its end loop 13 shown in FIGURE 4 is pushedfrom the heddle carrying rod 1 on the auxiliary rod 2 or vice versa, theheddle gradually runs on to the spring plate 4 and is lifted away on itsentire periphery from rod 1 or 2. The heddle is then guided by thecoupling piece 3 and then is transferred gradually to the other rod 2or 1. It is also possible to provide a recess in the end of the heddlecarrying rod 1 so that, like the auxiliary rod, it can act inconjunction with the correspondingly extended web-plate 10 of thecoupling piece 3. In a further practical embodiment, the coupling may besecured to the auxiliary rod 2, e.g. by spot Welding. Connection to theheddle carrying rod 1 is also conceivable. As shown in FIGURE 5. theguide plate may be of resilient design and have extensions 5a whichengage in the apertures S or 9. In this design, the extensions 5a, bentapproximately at right angles, protect the heddle carrying rod 1 or theauxiliary rod 2 against longitudinal displacement. The extension 6a ofthe guide plate 4 which also enters the recess 8, then simply acts as anapproach tongue for the heddles 13 in order to bridge the impact betweenrods 1 and 2. It would also be possible to provide extensions 5a and 6afor One side of the coupling piece only, e.g. the side which is to becoupled with the auxiliary rail 2, while the other side of the couplingis provided with a projection in accordance with FIGURE 3. Consequently,in the event of sudden release, only the projection 6 is withdrawn fromthe aperture 8 in the heddle carrying rod 1. The coupling thus remainslinked to the auxiliary rod 2, but can be removed if necessary.

The coupling device represents a new auxiliary means which eliminatesthe need for difficult manual work. The heddles can be transferred fromthe heddle carrying rods of the heddle frames to the auxiliary rods andvice versa without the need for special experience or skill. Known typesof heddle frame can still be used, the only requirement being thatapertures 8 must be provided in the heddle carrying rods close to theirends; this involves no special difliculty. If apertures are alsoprovided in the dispatch bands, these can also be connected to theauxiliary rods using the coupling in accordance with the invention. In asimilar manner, the auxiliary rods may be connected up to enable theheddles to be transferred onto the magazine rods of automatic drawing-inmachines.

This coupling enables auxiliary rods with an adequate cross-section andthe requisite degree of rigidity to be used. In this way cleaning,inspection, transport and storage of the heddles are facilitated. Theuse of longer auxiliary rods also becomes possible. For the sake ofclarity it should be emphasised that commonly used fiat steel heddleswith C-shaped end loops and with a distance of 13 inches between the endloops assuming a crosssection of 5.5 x 0.3 mm. weigh 2 kilogrammes per1000 heddles. Arranged next to each other, these heddles only occupy alength of about 330 mm., measured over the end loops, on the auxiliaryrods, It is easily possible to arrange heddles weighing more than 4 kg.on a pair of transport rods with a length of 700 mm.

Finally it should also be emphasised that this coupling can bemanufactured cheaply. No complicated shape is required for the ends ofthe heddle carrying rods. Damaged couplings can be replaced more quicklythan heddle carrying rods used in heddle frames. It is no longernecessary to remove the heddles together with the heddle carrying rodsfrom the heddle frame. Consequently the related disadvantages, e.g. moreexpensive design of the heddle frame and rods of different length as afunction of the width etc. can be avoided.

What I claim is:

1. A device for guiding and transferring heddles from an auxiliary rodto the heddle carrying rod of a heddle frame and for guiding andtransferring heddles from said heddle carrying rod to said auxiliaryrod, said device comprising an auxiliary rod having parallel fiat sidesadapted to have threaded thereon a plurality of heddles, a heddlecarrying rod also having parallel flat sides arranged with one end inalignment with one end of said auxiliary rod, and a coupling piececonnecting said two ends of said rods, said two ends of said rods beingeach provided with an aperture and said coupling piece comprising alongitudinal spring plate provided at its ends with angularly bentprojections for entering said apertures in said rods when the latterwith their ends are pushed together with one flat side of said rods inengagement with said spring plate, said coupling piece and said ends ofsaid rods in their coupled condition having a cross-section whichreadily permits the end loops of the heddles to pass over it when theheddles are slidably guided and transferred from one of said rods to theother.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the longitudinal edges ofsaid spring plate are provided with angularly bent flanges which formguides for said ends of said rods and engages the longitudinal edges ofsaid rods when one flat side of said rods is in engagement with saidspring plate.

3. A device according to claim 2, including a rectangular web plateattached to the center of said spring plate between the angularly bentflanges thereof, at least one of said rods having a recess in one endwhich receives said web plate for securely guiding and holding said onerod in alignment with the other rod.

4. A device according to claim 2, including a rectangular web plateattached to the center of said spring plate between the angularly bentflanges thereof, at least one of said rods having a recess in one endwhich receives said web plate for securely guiding and holding said onerod in alignment with the other rod, the thickness of said web platebeing substantially as great as the thickness of said axially alignedrods, and a guide plate attached to the outer face of said web plate andhaving portions engaging the fiat sides of said rods opposite the flatsides thereof which are engaged by said spring plate,

5. A device according to claim 2, including a rectangular Web plateattached to the center of said spring plate between the angular bentflanges thereof, at least one of said rods having a recess in one endwhich receives said Web plate for securely guiding and holding said onerod in alignment with the other rod, the thickness of said web platebeing substantially as great as the thickness of said axially alignedrods, and a guide plate attached to the outer face of said web plate andhaving portions engaging the flat sides of said rods opposite the flatsides thereof which are engaged by said spring plate, said guide platebeing provided at its ends with resilient extensions the extreme ends ofwhich are bent at substantially ring angles to the guide plate proper,said bent extreme ends entering into said apertures in the ends of saidrods when said rods are united with said coupling piece.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 637,790 11/1899 Hinkle et al.287108 953,506 3/1910 Baum 287108 1,009,050 11/1911 Cote 13992 2,017,21010/1935 Kirsch 287-65 X 3,121,936 2/1964 Meierhofer 28--46 FOREIGNPATENTS 215,100 6/ 1941 Switzerland.

JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,430,313 March 4 1969 Bernhard Robert Koch It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, between lines 5 and 6,insert the following:

Claims priority, application Switzerland, May 11, 1966, 6,832/66 Signedand sealed this 21st day of April 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. E.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

2. A GUIDE PIECE 5 SPACED FROM THE PLATE 4 ENGAGES WITH THE OPPOSITESIDES OF THE RODS 1 AND 2 TO THE PLATE.